VANCOUVER—Two U.S. bills proposed by a congressman and senator aimed at allowing Alaska-bound cruise ships to bypass Canadian ports would have a “devastating” effect on British Columbia’s economy, the head of Victoria’s harbour authority says. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski proposed a bill on Sept. 16 that would allow cruise ships carrying more than 1,000 passengers and bound for Alaska a permanent exemption from the Passenger Vessel Services Act. Under the act, foreign-built ships are not allowed to carry passengers between two U.S. ports without a stopover in a foreign country. “(The act) had the unintended consequence of putting Alaskan businesses at the mercy of the Canadian government,” she said during an address to the Southeast Conference Annual Meeting. “It nearly wiped out southeast Alaskan economies as we saw business after business ready to welcome visitors, but unable to because Canadians would not respond to our requests to allow foreign stops …